FEB 3301

JAN 3301

JUN 3301

The Imperial Inquisition is known for regularly organising competitive combat events, ranging from small-scale skirmishes to the popular 'Hunter Games', an intense 20-person gladiatorial competition. As one might expect, members of the organisation make frequent use of outfitting services, but they are constrained by the fact that their nearest outpost offers only a limited range of options. That's why the faction has launched a campaign to develop its local outpost of i Sola Prospect on Brestla A1.

Central to the initiative is a request for industrial materials, which the Imperial Inquisition will use to upgrade the outpost. A spokesperson for the group released a brief statement:

"Developing i Sola Prospect will mean that every type of weapon, ship and component needed to deliver the ultimate entertainment experience is always available. Naturally this will also be a huge boon to the galactic community."

If the campaign is successful, i Sola Prospect will become the first planetary outpost to boast a complete range of services, including a comprehensive shipyard.

In May 3301, the personal vessel of the Federal president, Starship One, disappeared en route to the Azaleach system. An investigation was promptly launched, but the fate of the vessel and her crew, which included then-president Jasmina Halsey, could not be conclusively determined. In a statement released earlier today, Federal President Zachary Hudson announced his intention to resume the search for the ship, inspired by the discovery of the remains of the liner Antares:

"Like many others, I was heartened by the Sirius Corporation's success, and I found myself thinking that if the remains of a ship lost fifty years ago could be found, surely a ship lost less than a year ago could also be recovered. I am therefore offering generous reimbursements to pilots who deliver wreckage components to the Federal research outpost at Leoniceno Orbital in the Azaleach system. Once we have gathered enough material, we will analyse the debris to determine if any of it is from Starship One. If we are able to find the remains of the ship, we may be able to determine what happened to President Halsey and the rest of the ship's crew."

But it appears that President Hudson is not the only person eager to find Starship One. In a strange turn of events, an organisation by the name of Daurtu Jet Comms PLC has also announced its intention to search for the missing presidential vessel. Virtually nothing is known about Daurtu Jet Comms PLC, but the fact that it is offering even larger rewards than the Federation may convince pilots to lend the organisation their support.

Professor Ishmael Palin has announced that his request for meta-alloys has been enthusiastically received by the galactic community, resulting in a massive influx of deliveries to his research base at Obsidian Orbital. In a statement, the Professor expressed his satisfaction at the response, and also shared news of a dramatic breakthrough in his research into the Unknown Artefacts:

"For much of the past week I have been investigating the ongoing technical issues at Obsidian Orbital, and I can now confirm what many of us have long suspected: the Unknown Artefacts are most definitely the cause."

"Apparently the objects have the ability to repair themselves – to re-grow, even – by extracting the necessary non-organic materials from their immediate environment. It really is quite remarkable. That's why they harm ships and other machinery – if they are damaged when they're scooped up, they use the metals in a ship's hull, or a starport's superstructure, to repair themselves. Even minor damage will trigger the self-repair mechanism."

"What is still not clear is if the meta-alloys can be used to counter this harmful process. That is what my team and I will be investigating over the coming weeks, using the research sample provided by the galactic community. As soon as we have something concrete to share with the public, we will do so."

This remarkable announcement represents a significant development in UA research, but it leaves the wider questions of the objects' origin and purpose unanswered.